A recent report from Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has revealed how food and beverage companies employ forceful and misleading strategies to inundate Nigerian markets with unhealthily processed items, exacerbating a nationwide public health emergency.
Introduced in Lagos on Wednesday, the document titled Clutter on Our Plates: Revealing Misleading Promotions of Unhealthy Foods Across Seven Nigerian States exposes how both multinational corporations and local businesses take advantage of cultural identities, celebrity promotions, and deceptive labeling to attract Nigerians, particularly children and those with lower incomes, to highly processed, sugary, and salty food products.
The dietary patterns of Nigerians are evolving, unfortunately in an adverse manner," stated CAPPA Executive Director Akinbode Oluwafemi during the event’s unveiling. "These businesses aren’t merely peddling meals; they're molding our behaviors and well-being. They focus their efforts on susceptible populations and manipulate advertisements to erode our nutritional decisions.
Research conducted by CAPPA across Abuja, Imo, Kaduna, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, and Osun states revealed instances where businesses employed regional languages and cultural motifs to market unhealthy goods. For instance, in Imo state, certain sugary yogurts were misleadingly advertised as being free from added sugars. Meanwhile, in Kaduna and Nasarawa, corporations such as Maggi and Dangote utilized Hausa-language promotions to endorse seasonings with elevated salt content, portraying them as indispensable traditional items.
The report emerges amid Nigeria’s increasing challenge from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like obesity, diabetes, and heart conditions, accounting for more than 30 percent of yearly fatalities in the nation. "This isn’t just ‘Oyibo’ illnesses anymore," cautioned Oluwafemi.
They are a direct result of our dietary choices and how these companies shape our food surroundings.
Even though CAPPA recognized certain policy initiatives from the Nigerian government like the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) tax, sodium reduction guidelines, and enhanced labeling regulations, the organization claims that enforcement remains inadequate. It also points out that industry participants are taking advantage of regulatory gaps.
The report suggests immediate changes, such as tighter restrictions on advertising near educational institutions, increasing the sugar-sweetened beverage levy to a minimum of N130 per liter, and mandating more transparent nutrition information. Additionally, it advocates for shielding public policies from commercial influences and encourages funding for domestic food networks focused on well-being rather than profitability.
The Program Officer at CAPPA, Opeyemi Ibitoye, emphasized the importance of safeguarding children from damaging advertising practices. "Children encounter such products both inside and outside their schools. By limiting the way these goods are promoted, we can alter what they demand and assist families in making more healthful decisions."
Oluwafemi ended his speech by dubbing the report "the start of a movement" aimed at achieving food justice in Nigeria. This initiative seeks to challenge corporate dominance and advocate for accessible, nutritious food choices for every Nigerian citizen, irrespective of their financial status or where they live.
Provided by Syndigate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).